1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to restaurant management systems. More specifically, the invention is directed to a wireless maitre d"" system and method for expeditiously receiving, filling and finalizing patron orders in and outside of restaurants.
2. Description of the Related Art
A number of restaurant management systems have been employed which utilize on-line or computer-based control methods for controlling orders and product inventory for both fast food and fine dining restaurant settings. As described hereinbelow, conventional methods have sought to improve direct communication between the waiter/waitress and the chef or short order cook with the use of remote devices. However, there has been little or no significant improvements that link direct electronic communication between a customer, waiter/waitress and the food preparer which minimize delays in the normal course of resolving menu orders taken by a waiter/waitress from a patron. With the rise in health related ailments (eg. diabetes, coronary heart disease, etc.) in the United States, it has become increasingly important to ensure that customer""s food orders have been effectively communicated and properly prepared to maximize the wonderful experience of eating or dining out. In this day and age, it is sad to say that people who choose to eat in restaurants have become more frustrated by the inefficiency of waiter/waitress service more than any other problematic factors encountered in a restaurant. Unfortunately, it must be said that the wonderful experience of enjoying a well prepared meal has often been marred by degenerative waiter/waitress assistance or a lack thereof. It is out of this type of customer-waiter/waitress relationship that most patrons file complaints.
Current research in this area has indicated, particularly for the next millennium that the primary focus of concern for restaurants and/or for businesses in general will be customer satisfaction. To this end, it is the impetus of the present invention to alleviate the aforementioned problems by providing a wireless maitre d"" system and method which allows interactive two-way electronic communication between selective or roaming restaurant personnel and at least one local or remote patron without the need for unnecessary physical exertion and/or frustration at the expense of either the customer or waiter/waitress due to an inherent deficiency in the conventional restaurant management methods, at least as noted below.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,067 issued to Dorr discloses a method and apparatus for managing information and the control of restaurants. The apparatus includes a plurality of remote units carried by waiters. The remote units are equipped with a keyboard, a display and a memory source with radio transmission and receiving capability. A central interrogator transceiver periodically interrogates each of the remote units after which the remote units transmit information back to the central interrogator. The central interrogator transceiver couples the information transmitted thereto to a central processor with high speed memory.
The processor operates on the information received to provide order information to a kitchen display, an order assembly display, a service bar display, a table status display and to a check printer-cash register. The order information is coupled to an inventory control unit for decrementing the various items in inventory by the quantity of items ordered by each customer. However, this system directly omits the customer within this link of communication.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,039 issued to Korzen discloses an electronic table pager and display device comprising a menu stand which includes a call activation switch for summoning a server to a table in a restaurant. The device includes a housing having a base that supports a low energy light source therein. When a patron wants to summon a waiter, that patron actuates a simple membrane switch which provides a modulated output signal to the light source via an inverter circuit, so that the light source emits light pulses to attract and summon a waiter to the table. Such systems requires visual eye contact with the illuminated device, which in most instances becomes ineffective because the waiter/waitress is preoccupied or not properly positioned for identifying the visual signal. Also, it has been found that such use of light sources have been improperly installed or do not compensate for the range of heights of the waiter/waitress thereby preventing effective visibility of an illuminated light signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,798 issued to Stevens, III discloses a restaurant transaction processing system which employs low cost cordless phone transceivers to transmit orders. A server having a first cordless telephone transceiver receives data from a portable computer via a second cordless telephone transceiver. The first and second cordless transceivers operate at FCC designated transmission frequencies for a range within less than five thousand feet. A typical frequency of operation is in a frequency band near 900 MHz.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,115 issued to Coleman discloses a restaurant management system which monitors inventory sent to a user from a supplier. Each item in the order has an associated minimum time until the order may be delivered. A renumeration system is used to collect money in response to the receipt of an order. An associated alarm with selective thresholds are used to indicate a predetermined duration of time from the receipt of an order to actual delivery. Software features of the system include food, beverage and table selections with payment options on line. However, there is no direct electronic link for communication between the waiter/waitress and customer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,263 issued to Camaisa et al. discloses an interactive visual ordering system and method which uses full-color images. The system is used to facilitate menu orders by a customer utilizing a personal computer system with user data input made via a conventional keyboard device. When the customer decides to order a particular menu item, the system captures the ordered items and tabulates a running bill. The pay options include credit and/or debit transactions, but excludes wireless waiter/waitress to customer order resolution. Touch screen activation of orders are made according to this system, and is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,275 issued to Battistini et al. discloses an order communication system which allows audiovisual interactive communication between a customer at a remote and fixed order station, and an attendant receiving orders in a restaurant. The order communication system allows display programming in the form of textual and graphical depictions, with two-way live video of both the attendant and customer at fixed stationary points as a fast food drive-thru system.
The PCT document (WO 83/04327) by Pitroda discloses a restaurant system for processing, controlling and displaying order information received via a one-way signal transmitting terminal located in a remote area. Other conventional features of general relevance to the wireless maitre d"" system and method as herein described are those disclosed in the published PCT application (WO 99/48034) by Michot. Michot teaches a method and device for making automatic payments of a selective or group of items. The method consists of assigning to each consumer a transponder module having an identification code representative of an account balance stored therein, and subtracting the price of a picked or selected item thereby providing an updated balance for the consumer at product dispensing points.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a wireless maitre d"" system for restaurants solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The wireless maitre d"" system and method according to the invention provides independent touch screen visual ordering and remote pager signalling of a waiter/waitress for expediting and resolving menu orders made by patrons via 2-way interactive wireless communication. The waiter/waitress is equipped with a hand-held palm size pager unit with multi-line scrolling and buffer capabilities to send and receive messages. The wireless pager device is adapted to fit, clip or attach to a clothing article or to the wrist of a server for hands-free use. The hand-held pager is programmed to provide a specific restaurant menu with mirrored effects stored on a personal computer system which accessed by a customer via a touch screen activation terminal located at a patron""s table. Customer input data is compiled and interpreted to generate statistical or demographic data of patrons based on (1) age, (2) sex, (3) race, (4) social economic, and other factors pertinent for improving restaurant services. Data obtained from on-line Customer service surveys are also compiled for advertising, marketing and for further improving customer service. Other selective screen features include advertisement for businesses, catering services, food preparations for parties, Job announcements, health and food related Trivia, card games, including a link for on-line Internet surfing. In augmented form, the maitre d"" system and method is accessed as a stand alone kiosk which has the advantage of attracting tourist and the like to assist in providing restaurant information without having to interact directly with restaurant personnel. The kiosk system allows the user to review menu items linked to caloric expenditure data and health related information approved by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Diabetic Association (ADA). Each menu item is also linked with an organ symbol (i.e. heart, kidney, etc.) for quickly providing a potential customer with a menu and/or restaurant which benefits personal dietary and/or seating needs, respectively. Both local and remote orders are filled by customers via web enabled devices which directly link local customers and restaurant personnel within a single line of communication.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a wireless maitre d"" system and method which allows interactive two-way communication to selective restaurant personnel for expeditiously receiving, filling and finalizing patron orders in and outside of restaurants.
It is another object of the invention to provide a wireless maitre d"" system and method which allows 2-way electronic interactive communication between a customer and at least one restaurant personnel or server.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a maitre d"" system and method which accommodate health related menu selections as approved by AHA and ADA.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a maitre d"" system and method which allows electronic transmission of orders form either a customer table and/or via a maitre d"" paging unit.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.